Sweet Simplicity
by foolishmundanes
Summary: Tessa Gray's life is complicated enough. But it only gets worse when her snobbish father forces her to attend a prestigious boarding school called The Institute, where she soon meets the infuriating Will Herondale, who takes a sudden interest in her. Just her luck, practically the whole school's in love with him—but she won't let herself fall, no matter how difficult the task.
1. Chapter 1: From New York to London

Tessa Gray read a lot, so of course she had _some _idea of what London would be like. But she really didn't know much other than the basics everyone knew about like Big Ben, The London Eye, and the Queen of England.

Her father Richard Gray was a lawyer. One of those intense, strict ones. The thing was, he was good at his job. Won every case. So their family had money, and lots of it. While that was a good thing, her father succumbed to his own little wealthy paradise. But he had a good reputation, and his success was making himself known to the country. Again, good.

So what was the bad thing?

Richard Gray easily became an impulsive, indolent, snob. He'd made a name for himself. So of course, just to prove how wealthy and how much power he has, he made his daughter transfer to a brand new school for rich parents' children in London, England.

And to be honest, Tessa was a bit upset.

How could he have sent his only daughter to a whole new country? And he gave no second thought about it. He literally just said: "Tessa, you're going to school in London. Oh, and can you go get the mail?"

She has a _life _in New York. She has friends. She likes her school. And he thinks he can just take all that away from her? Tessa knew he was only doing that because "he can and wanted to prove everyone of his power," according to Nate. And it was totally unfair.

It wasn't easy for her, though. No one said it would be. Tessa, Clary, and Izzy—her best friends—they had all grown up together. They've been in the same classes since kindergarten, going on play-dates, was always in the same group for class projects, to growing up and facing life together. All those years, down the drain.

Tessa would even miss Jace, Alec and Simon. She would surely miss their humor. She could see herself, sitting alone in a library, clutching a book to her chest, smiling faintly at some of the old jokes they used to tell, reminiscing of the books Jace and her occasionally talked about and let each other borrow.

She didn't even know what London was _like _apart from reading novels about the place and some British shows. She thought she could maybe have her own little studio there in New York where she could write tales of fantasy, romance, drama. She still could, but she wanted to achieve her dreams in _New York_, not London.

But Tessa was being just a little bit dramatic. It wasn't like she'd be there forever. It was only for the school year. And maybe, things wouldn't be that bad. After some explaining from her mom (not her dad, he was too busy doing nothing), she knew his intentions were somewhat good, but it was selfish, and she would not ignore that.

Tessa sighed. It was London, for crying out loud! Nearly every person dreams of going there. And for a year! Who wouldn't want to go, when given the chance? But Tessa was too stubborn for her own good, and wouldn't let herself be excited because she'd only be giving in to her father's stupid idea. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Her cell phone lying on the ground had begun to ring, and Tessa leaped across the room to grab it. She glanced at the Caller ID, and allowed herself a smile. She didn't have to look, though. Clary had changed her and Izzy's ringtone a long time ago to _The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides _theme. So she wasn't surprised to see Isabelle Lightwood's stunning face on her screen.

She hit answer, and was greeted by a loud, "TESSA GRAY, YOU ARE NOT IGNORING US, ARE YOU?"

She blinked once, and then stood up, leaning against the side of her bed. "What?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Izzy replied, "Clary and I have been texting and calling you for the past hour. Are you ignoring us?" There was a hint of suspicion in her tone, and Tessa bit down hard on her lip.

She'd have to explain to them now. But she didn't want to do it over the phone. This was something that would be done in person.

So instantly, Tessa said, "Meet me at the Java Jones in twenty. Bring Clary."

This obviously startled her. "Wha—?" But before Isabelle could complete her sentence, Tessa hung up. She threw herself on her bed and buried her face into her worn out, light green on the verge of gray pillow, groaning very loudly into it.

Why did this have to happen to her?

—

Tessa leaned back in their usual dark red booth, tapping her fingers almost impatiently against the round wooden table. Normally Java Jones was a place she was comfortable with, with its warm-colored walls and enticing smell of coffee beans. And now it just made her uneasy, knowing this would be one of her last visits here.

This was the last week of her vacation, so by the time she would get there, school would just be starting. She didn't have much time to pack and say bye to everyone, which really sucked.

With a sigh, Tessa began running through her head what she would say to her friends. She had to prepare herself for the pain. It was already there, but it'd be so much worse by the time they got there.

Five minutes later, she saw Isabelle's long black hair through the window bounce against her back as she strutted in the coffee shop, and when she stepped through the door, Isabelle's face could barely conceal her worry.

Isabelle was always tough, and always masked her features well enough so people couldn't read her emotions. Not as well as Jace, her adopted brother, but that was a entirely different subject. Yet she always allowed her best friends to see. She had every right to be worried, or anxious. Tessa had to admit that her voice _was _a little shaky over the phone.

"Tessa, are you okay?" she asked, pushing her dark hair over her left shoulder. Every girl who knew Isabelle Lightwood was at least a little bit jealous. She was tall and had a well-built body; she was very strong and trained with Jace and her brother Alec. Not to mention the graceful air she always walked with. Also, she was incredibly gorgeous with her long inky hair, mysterious and intriguing charcoal eyes that if you looked really closely, were dark brown that could either be warm or intense and cruel. She had it all, and boys were always after her. Though she didn't really want a relationship, but Tessa had noticed that she and Simon Lewis were getting pretty close.

"Of course." But the words were thick and choked. She wanted to avoid this conversation for a bit. Wait until Clary got there. So to just momentarily distract her, she asked, "Do you want a coffee?"

Isabelle put her hands on her hips and gave her a pointed look, knowing she was hiding something. Tessa felt a twinge of despair. But she exhaled sharply and just nodded just slightly with a muttered, "Sure, whatever."

Tessa went over to the barista and ordered after waiting in the short line a mocha for Izzy, black coffee for Clary, and nothing for herself. She wasn't really a coffee person, but enjoyed going to Java Jones for their other items. Though it was mainly just a hangout place for her and her friends.

By the time Tessa had returned to their booth, Clary had entered, her fiery-red hair vibrant against the warm colors of the room and emerald eyes taking in the place, before seating herself next to Tessa with a smile. She shrugged her bag off her arm. "Hey, guys," she said, but then her smile faltered as soon as she saw their expressions. "What's up?"

Avoiding their gazes, Tessa pushed their coffees toward them, and Clary took it with her hands and brought it up to her lips. "I need to tell you guys something."

"No kidding," Isabelle murmured against the edge of her coffee cup, before taking a small sip of the mocha.

Tessa couldn't even bring herself to send her a glare. She didn't want to do this, but she had to, and it made her even more angry at her father. "My dad's making me move to London for the year and attend school there." And there. It had been said, and a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Only she wasn't relieved at all. It was like the weight was a bomb and it just went off and exploded.

Clary's cup fell out of her hands, nearly spilling the contents, and Isabelle choked on her mocha, coughing violently. Tessa's eyes widened, and she felt a sharp pang in her chest.

She absolutely _loathed _her father for this. How could he do such a thing? Ripping her away from her best friends and home wasn't such a great way of showing fatherly love.

She just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and die. She didn't want to move away from Isabelle, Clary, and everyone else.

And they were both staring at her in absolute astonishment. Clary spoke up first. Her voice was strong but somehow weak at the same time. "You're really moving away?"

Tessa nodded a barely imperceptible nod. "Yeah," she said bitterly. "I really am."

Isabelle smiled, but it was obviously forced. "I'm happy for you. This is a once-in-lifetime thing."

Tessa was glad she was trying to show some cheerfulness, but she still was a little upset.

"I can't believe your dad's making you do this, though," Clary sighed with a roll of her eyes. "And against your own will. Not," she added hastily, "that I'm unhappy for you."

She tried to smile, but could barely muster one after seeing the heartbreaking expressions on their faces they were trying so hard to conceal.

For the rest of the day, they spent as much time together as possible, and when they went home, Isabelle and Clary helped her pack some things. Tessa felt like she didn't need to bring much, so she settled for clothes, shoes, her pillow, and comforter. Of course she brought in a small bag some things that her friends, Nate, and her mother got her. It total, it was about four suitcases. Isabelle kept telling her she should've packed more clothes, but Tessa claimed she was sure to go shopping while she was there.

"I don't understand why your books need to be in a separate suitcase, though," said Clary, picking up _Jane Eyre_ with an odd look.

Tessa snatched it back from her. "It's because they're special and deserve their own bag." Clary rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet.

Isabelle held up an old leather-bound notebook and waved it in the air. "What about this?"

Tessa gasped, and grasped it, holding it tightly against her chest. It was a present her father had given to her many years ago before he became snobbish. She never knew what to write in it, but a few years ago she began writing her most personal thoughts and never let anyone see what's inside. The book held all her secrets and more. Everything about her. Stuff that even Clary and Izzy didn't even know about.

"Yeah, sorry," she mumbled and carefully placed it in her small bag. After that, she said, "Okay, well. I think we're done here."

They nodded and went downstairs, talking about everything and absolutely nothing at the same time. It was just what they did, and was the last time they did it.

—

_Do I have to move away?_ Tessa kept asking herself until she reached the airport.

All of her friends were there to say good-bye, as well as her mom. He was there, alright. But instead of saying bye, he was getting a sandwich. A _sandwich_. How typical of him. But apparently, she was stuck with him for most of the time. He'd be the one she'd wait with until they would call her flight.

Simon, Jace, Clary, Izzy, and Alec were all there, hugging, teasing, until they stepped aside for her mother, Elizabeth Gray. She reached for the clasp of her pendant—a ticking clockwork angel—and gently handed it to Tessa, who gaped at her.

Elizabeth smiled gently. "I want you to have this, Theresa."

"B-but, it's yours!" she sputtered lamely. "It's always been yours, I can't take it."

Her mom was pleading with her now. "Please, sweetie. I want you to have this reminder of home."

Well. It _was _just a year, and she would see her over the holidays, but nevertheless, Tessa reached out with a shaking hand and took the clockwork angel, wrapping it around her neck and clasping it. The ticking thrummed against her chest as if its wings were flapping. It felt foreign around her neck. She was acutely aware of it on her, but she managed a smile. "Thanks, Mom." They hugged for just a good thirty seconds, before Simon coughed somewhat awkwardly (and rather loudly), and they pulled apart.

Before she knew it, her father's hands suddenly were on her shoulders and had just return from the sandwich shop. "I think we should start leaving now, Theresa."

Isabelle made a whimpered noise into Alec's chest.

"Email, call, text..." Clary chimed in, and Tessa nodded. They all waved at her as she was about to turn and walk away. And then, she did. She and her father went to take a seat in those chairs to wait for her flight to be announced. She refused to speak to him, and he apparently noticed.

"Listen," he paused, "_Tessa._" She wanted to smile a bit at the use of the nickname she wanted to be called by. He was trying; she knew that; still, she was a little angry at him. "I know this whole moving thing has been tough on you. I know that you had to leave some of your friends. But you'll make _new _friends. That's what really matters. I mean, you can't be friends with the same people forever, can you?"

_Yes,_ Tessa thought, but she didn't say it.

Richard Gray stared at her, and as if reading her thoughts, he said, "Just try. Can you at least _try_ to make new friends? For me?"

Ah. The 'for me' card.

Tessa, though, was unsure. She didn't want to make new friends. She'd rather wander the earth alone than not have Clary, Izzy, Simon, Jace, Alec and everyone else. But as much as she didn't want to, she didn't want to disappoint her father despite the situation he was putting her in.

"I'll try," Tessa said simply.

He gave her a strained smile. "Thank you, Theresa." She did one of those slow, awkward nods with her mouth set into a line.

They didn't really talk much after that. The PA called her flight and Tessa stood up, muttering a quick goodbye, and then left him. She reached for her ticket and fumbled with it in her hands, pulling her suitcases with her name tags on them with her.

After going through security and trying not to look like a murderer or something, all leading up to where she boarded the plane with only her small bag with her journal. Sometimes she wrote letters that were addressed to her brother, but she never sent them. She quickly wrote down her experience and then put the journal away, and later began rereading an eBook. After a long while, though, she fell asleep on the plane, only to be woken by the pilot telling them that they had arrived.

She couldn't believe it. This was real and actually happening. Tessa was actually going to live in a brand new country all by herself.

* * *

**A/N:** _I should really stop posting new stories when I already have others to update (which I'm writing, for those of you who read my fics!) Anyway, w__as that boring? Because I certainly hope not. Things will definitely get more exciting in the next chapter since this was just an introduction. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Drop a review for the next! Also favorite, follow... All that good stuff._

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices, The Mortal Instruments (not that it'll be mentioned much), or anything else mentioned in this story._


	2. Chapter 2: Moving In

After the flight ended, Tessa was about to take a taxi home until she saw…

"Nate!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her bags and running to her older brother. He had on the biggest, goofiest grin she had ever seen on him. It'd been years since they last saw each other, only communicating by email or text or phone calls. Seeing him in person was like a shock to her.

Tessa wrapped her arms around him, her face buried in his shirt. "I missed you so much," she said, her voice muffled.

"I missed you, too," he replied, pulling back. Nate took all three of her suitcases. She was about to protest, saying she could do it herself, but he shook his head, already knowing she would do that. God, she missed him. "Come on, I'll take you to my home."

They drove in his car all the way to an impressive modern flat by Oxford Street. It was spacious, something they'd both appreciated, with cherry wood floors and black and white furniture. There was a TV propped up on the cream colored wall and a spiral staircase just to the left of them. Tessa had no idea how Nate could afford something like this—or anyone, for that matter.

He grinned at her. "Like what you see?"

Gray eyes flitting around the room, she nodded once. The only thing she could say was, "_How_?"

Nate shrugged once, walking over to the kitchen and said as he pulled out some snacks, "I got a new job."

Tessa raised her eyebrows, suddenly interested. She had so many questions now. Where? Did new mean he just got it? And how much did it pay? "Really?"

"Yep." He threw an apple in the air and then took an impressive bite. "_Mortmain & Co._ It's pretty nice. Pays a lot, keeps me alive."

"Pretty nice indeed," she muttered under her breath, taking another glance at the living room.

Nate threw himself on the couch and crossed his legs over the arms of the chair. She noticed he hadn't really changed much. There was a slight change in his accent now, but the American accent was still there. "So you're going to school at that fancy-schmancy Institute?"

There was a mocking tone to his voice and Tessa rolled her eyes, but then answered, "Yeah, so it seems."

Her brother scrunched up his nose in disgust and Tessa couldn't help but agree. "Dad's an idiot anyway, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And all the kids who go to the Institute are just stuck-up rich kids. But I'm glad you're here." He took another bite of his apple.

Tessa blinked and said nothing in reply. Well, okay then.

"So, what do you want to do now you're here?" Nate asked her, sitting up from his chair. She hadn't really thought about it, in all honesty. All she did think about was that did not at all want to go to London, but that was it. She didn't really know what she wanted to look at.

But she would have to do some sightseeing if she was going to live here.

Maybe later. For now, Tessa just wanted to check out her room at the Institute and unpack there. So she told him exactly that.

Nate nodded with a shrug. He probably didn't even care. If he was still the same as Tessa last remembered him, he was always pretty lazy and liked to stay home. The fact that he actually went out and got a job was a miracle.

"Do you want me to take you?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"I'll take a taxi," she replied, and started heading for the door with him behind her.

He leaned against the wall and smiled. "Come visit soon, Tessie. It's been ages."

Tessa smiled back. Suddenly she just wanted to stay here and make up for all the lost time. She had really missed him, but promised herself that she would see him again soon. "Of course. Bye, Nate."

With that, she left his apartment—_flat—_and did as she said she would. She went over to the Institute.

—

It wasn't like anything she'd ever seen before.

When the taxi pulled up in front of the Institute, Tessa watched as the look of pure awe settled on the driver's face in the rearview mirror, before it came on her own. It was a rather grand structure, one that flew up into the sky, and had what reminded Tessa of a castle with its conical spires and stone walls. It was truly magnificent. She could definitely see how this could be a 'rich-kid' school.

She sucked in a breath and, hauling her bags with one hand and her clockwork angel in the other, she made her way inside the Institute doors and stepped in.

Immediately she bumped into someone walking by. Tessa was ready to apologize, but the person—a girl about her age, maybe a bit older—threw her hands up to her mouth and widened her eyes. A dark luminous hazel. Very pretty. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaimed, her brown hair falling into her face.

Tessa shook her head and smiled at her. "No worries. Sorry. I'm Tessa. I'm new here…?"

Realization dawned on her face. "Oh, I've heard about you. I'm Sophie Collins, nice to meet you."

She's heard about her. Tessa wasn't used to being the new student and was unsure of how things went around. But she had new students at her school before, and rumors and gossip spread around like wildfire. Hopefully it wasn't anything as bad as that here.

Sophie put out her hand. Tessa hesitated for a moment, but then shook it.

That's when she noticed it.

There was a long, jagged scar that covered most of her face. She knew she was staring, but it was kind of distracting, and she couldn't help it. But she tried pulling her eyes back to hers, and when she did, she noticed Sophie's face was flushed.

Before Tessa could ask about it, Sophie turned on her heel, pulling Tessa with her. She nearly tripped, but then quickly slipped back into an easy stride.

Sophie helped her with her bags—even though Tessa profusely refused, but she wouldn't take no for an answer—and as they were heading for the dorms, she began explaining how some things worked in the school. Not the full story, though.

She concluded with, "You'll have to go to the Deans' office where they'll assign you a guide, but they're usually no fun. But this is where I'm at if you want to talk to me about something." She shrugged.

Tessa had so many questions, but she decided to with, "Um, where's the Deans' office?" she asked shyly after a few quiet seconds.

Sophie pointed over to the left. "In the main building," she replied. "Very big. Can't miss it."

Tessa nodded, still a little unsure, but starting walking in the direction she pointed to.

With an overdramatic sigh, Tessa once again began thinking about how much she wanted to go home. There was no Clary. There was no Isabelle. The only person she knew here was Sophie and Nate, but Sophie she had just met, and Nate she hadn't seen for years. He probably changed a lot while they were apart.

She kind of hated this place.

It was beautiful and no doubt breathtaking, but she'd rather have the comfort of her old private school St. Xavier's. Everyone that she so far saw at the Institute walked in a stiff, formal manner that made Tessa want to roll her eyes. Not only that, they had _uniforms_, apparently, but none of the students were wearing them.

She hadn't worn a uniform in so long, but she remembered that she didn't like it. It was when she was in kindergarten, but that only lasted for such a short period of time, so that probably didn't count.

She checked in with her surroundings and then picked up her pace to an awkward jog/walk kind of thing. She outstretched her hand and pulled the doorknob, and was met with silence as two heads turned to her.

There was a small, dainty woman with brown hair up in a neatly done bun with brown eyes to match who sat at a desk. Tessa hardly even noticed her height, but she did notice the air of authority the woman held. Tessa immediately respected her, regardless of the fact that she hadn't even spoken a word to her.

In front of her, sitting in a small plastic chair by the desk, sat a taller, yet still smaller than Tessa, girl about her age with long blonde locks of hair and brown eyes as well. She was insanely gorgeous, but something about her put Tessa off. It was proven when the girl scowled at Tessa, who shrunk back. They were both in midst of an argument and she had just interrupted the whole thing.

"Uh, hi." Tessa waved pathetically. They both stared at her. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? 'Cause I can just leave…"

The brown-haired lady shook her head and smiled. "That won't be necessary. Jessamine, can you please wait in the hall?"

So the bitchy girl had a name. "Jessamine" stood up from her chair and sniffed, glancing once at Tessa with an almost disgusted look, and then exited into the hallway. Ugh, she was one of _those_ girls? Even better.

Tessa stood uncomfortably by the door and she waved her over. Tessa took a seat where Jessamine was sitting.

And then the lady at the desk stood up, brushing her hair out of the way. She seemed nice overall. Tessa's eyes glanced at the black card with white letters that read _Mrs. Branwell._

"May I help you?" Mrs. Branwell asked with a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

She coughed. "Um, yeah. My name is Theresa Gray…I'm new here and I'm kinda confused."

"Oh!" Mrs. Branwell exclaimed. "Theresa Gray, yes. Let me check the computer real quick." She did exactly as she said, and then turned back to Tessa and gave her a small paper card with the number_ 604 _on it. "All right, then. You parents have already signed you up, so you're good to go. That's you're dorm room number, in case you were wondering."

Tessa nodded. Two problems solved. Good.

"Also, your guide will be here in just a moment."

Once again, Tessa nodded. There was an awkward silence. She looked down at her lap and began fiddling with her thumbs.

A moment seemed to have gone on for ten minutes, and a very long ten minutes. Not to mention the uncomfortable quietness with her and Charlotte. She was doing work on her computer while Tessa just kinda sat there. She coughed awkwardly.

Then, the door opened and revealed a younger girl, most likely at the age of fifteen, peek in through the door, before fully stepping in. She had long dark hair (with a sharp pang she was reminded of Izzy) and startling blue eyes. She was very pretty.

Tessa realized she was staring. She looked away to Charlotte, who smiled with a barely audible sigh of relief. "Ah, you're here. Miss Gray, I would like you to meet Miss Cecily Herondale. She will be your guide for the day."

She looked back to Cecily who was staring at Tessa with a curious glance. Tessa could not help but return the gaze, when Charlotte interrupted the two by standing up and shuffling around in her long skirt. "If you have any questions," she said, stopping in front of Tessa, who didn't miss the massive height difference, "please ask Cecily or me or someone. Classes begin Monday, so I'll see you then." She left her office but not before smiling at the two girls, who followed after her and then went in a different direction.

Of course, when someone meets somebody for the first time is usually when their usually at their shiest. It's a known fact. So Tessa couldn't help but be extremely awkward around the younger girl.

Cecily took the lead and began explaining everything. As it turns out, she's very talkative, contrary to how she acted when they first met. Not that it was a bad thing—Tessa was actually grateful for this; she didn't have to say much.

A question couldn't help but slip out of her mouth. "Why aren't there many people here?" She thought it would be bursting with new arrivals, students coming back to get ready for school. But there was almost no one.

Cecily turned around, her black hair tossing behind her, and she grinned at her. "They're trying to spend their final days of freedom at home. My parents are out of town, so my brother and I obviously can't stay with them." She shrugged. Tessa was about to ask something else, but Cecily cut her off.

"Over here is the dining hall," she gestured in front of her. They opened the doors to reveal a nearly empty dining hall—the word cafeteria definitely doesn't suit it. The ceilings were as high as a chapel and arches extended over the length of the space, housing floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The cream-colored walls contrasted with the dark cherry wood floors. It was too breathtaking for a regular cafeteria.

Tessa's eyes roamed about the room. They finally landed on Cecily who was standing there with a smug expression.

"Wow," was all she said.

Cecily nodded, but it didn't seem like she saw the beauty of it as much as Tessa did. Not like most people did. She read books; of course she saw more to things than some did.

The blue-eyed girl turned on her heel and made her way to the door, propping it open for Tessa, who said nothing as she passed through.

Finally, they were walking to the dorms. Tessa had to admit, she was a bit eager to see it. She wondered what it was like to share a room with someone who wasn't her brother many years back. It would be her first official day out of New York.

Of course, she was most likely going to stay with Nate until school started, but for now she was going to move her stuff in.

Cecily explained how this section had the rooms for the girls and that she'd need to take the elevator—or really, a lift—to get to the boys, and as if it were nothing. _Lift_. The word echoed in her head. When she looked over at it, Tessa nearly fainted. It had a modern look to it, and was not your average, metallic-scented elevator she saw at malls and hotels and all. Nate was right. This was most definitely a rich kid school.

While Cecily was opening the door, Tessa felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation, so she tried settling it down by casually looking around the hall she was in. Then the door flew open.

It was definitely not what Tessa imagined.

The walls were stark white with two beds pressed against them, neatly made with a window in between them. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room overflowed with papers, and basically random items with a laptop atop it all. The closet looked like it was about to explode, and judging by the few shirts sticking out, it was the clothes. Fortunately for Tessa, her bed was farthest away from the closet.

It wasn't completely messy, but it wasn't completely clean either. It was fine with her. She had a high tolerance for this sort of stuff. She _did_ live with a boy for most of her life.

"Sorry for the mess," Cecily murmured after shutting the door, stepping around her backpack on the floor.

Tessa shook her head, not really caring. "S'okay."

"Um, here, I'll help you unpack your clothes and try to fit them in that chaos over there." She nodded her head toward the closet, and Tessa managed a smile. She handed her the suitcase with her bag and began unpacking the rest.

The first thing she pulled out was her journal. She carefully put it on top of the desk, and later took out the pillows and sheets and comforter she had on the bed.

Gradually, their dorm officially became partly hers. Her things were in place and clothes were stuffed in the closet. She was moved in.

"Thank you, Cecily," she said with a grateful smile.

She waved her off. "No problem. Hey, my brother and I are about to get lunch, you want to come with?"

Tessa momentarily thought about it. _London. Lunch. Food. Yes. _She was starving, actually. But played it off with a simple, "Yeah, sure."

As if on cue, their door flung open to reveal a… Oh, dear God.

The first thing that came into Tessa's mind—he was definitely attractive. He was a little more than six feet tall with inky black tousled hair that fell into his dark blue eyes and had all elegant features; high cheekbones, long, thick lashes, and an elegant throat. Actually, the word attractive was a bit of an understatement.

She knew she was staring. But when his eyes fell on her and his perfect lips formed into a smirk, everything changed. He was fully of aware of his looks. She knew better than to fall for those assholes.

Tessa looked away. The little crush she had begun to form in those few seconds evaporated into the air.

Cecily rolled her eyes at him, and Tessa noticed that their eyes were almost the same color. There was even a hint of violet in them. The color was truly magnificent. She opened her mouth to introduce him, but he beat her to the chase.

"Will Herondale," he said cheerily. His voice was entrancing.

She hated him for it.

"I don't believe I've seen you at the Institute very much, but I think we ought to change that." He winked at her.

She _really_ hated him.

Tessa looked him straight in the eye. She would not show any signs of adoration, or whatever girls feel upon seeing him. She would not be like those girls. "Tessa Gray," she said, chin raised up. "And don't get your hopes up high. You don't wanna seem too eager."

Will grinned at her. It only added to his beauty. Damn him. "Oh, I look absolutely forward to seeing you again, Miss Gray."

"Tessa's joining us for lunch," Cecily said. Tessa had honestly forgotten about Cecily. Oops. "So don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. Can we go now? I'm famished." Her brother raised an eyebrow at the mention of her going.

Now that there was a Will Herondale involved, Tessa wasn't sure she wanted to go anymore.

She moved across the room to the desk with the papers on top and reached for her journal and a nearby pen, and sat on the bed. "Actually, I think I might stay."

His eyes flicked to her journal, and then back at her. "Come on. It gets rather boring with only Cecy around. Jem's still back home with his family, so you're all I have." He gave her a pleading look, and she rolled her eyes.

Cecily scowled at him. "I'm not boring!"

Will inspected his hand. "Oh, yes you are." He looked back at Tessa. "But whatever, we're not forcing you to do anything."

Apparently, both of the Herondales wanted her to go. Cecily said, "And Will's a nuisance. Please don't leave me alone."

She had no money. The dining hall, according to Cecily, was not serving food at the moment. She could always eat with Nate, but then she realized he was working about now. So really, they were her only option. Hooray.

"Fine." She left her journal on the bed and stood up.

While she was grabbing a small bag, the two Herondale siblings started talking. "It's so hot outside," Will complained.

Cecily wasn't having any of it. "That's why we're eating _inside_. Do stop complaining, William, I'm getting a headache." He rolled his eyes at her, and Tessa was ready.

"Let's go," she said.

—

Tessa looked up at Will. "You are a lying liar who lies."

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing," he said with mock offense.

"You said it was hot outside!" Tessa said, trying not to grin.

He looked down at her with wide eyes. "It is hot! It's twenty-eight degrees!" _Celsius._ Wasn't that like eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit? The weather was really nice, but not to Londoners, apparently.

She stifled a laugh. "You should come to America sometime."

"No thanks," said Will. She blinked, but then shook her head.

They were walking along the streets to a small café down the corner. It was surprisingly nearby, but according to them, they had the best sandwiches. She would just have to wait and see.

When the stepped inside, Tessa was greeted by overwhelming (though not in a bad way), fresh smells of tomatoes, lettuce, and bread. The walls were a soft shade of brown, and small posters were hung on them. There were small round tables right next to a wide rectangular window that allowed them view of the bustling city. And if Tessa looked behind the employees, she could see some of the bakers kneading and folding the dough for bread. Also, under the counters were a variety of French desserts like _macarons_, cakes, and other delicacies. She really loved this place so far.

"Tiramisu is Italian," Tessa said upon seeing the cake under the counter.

Will nodded once. "Yes. And genuphobia means an unreasonable fear of knees. Moving on."

Tessa looked over at Cecily, who was giving her brother an exasperated look. She smiled. Cecily asked, "Tessa, what would you like?"

She wasn't really familiar with all the different types of sandwiches, so she just said, "Whatever you're having."

Cecily turned to the employee at the counter. "_Bonjour, monsieur. __Ça va_?"

He looked pleased by this. "_Ça va bien, merci. Et toi_?"

"_Ça va. _Um, _trois jambon et fromage sandwiches, s'il vous plaît. C'est tout._"

She spoke French. Of course she did.

Will brought her to the table, and she sat on the opposite side of him. The seats weren't exactly booths, but you could almost call them that. A bit uncomfortable, really, but they looked nice. Then there was the really small table.

He was smiling at her.

She said nothing, and did nothing.

He kept smiling. It wasn't even a kind smile. It was a mischievous one. She grew very uncomfortable under his gaze.

Cecily sat down with them and placed two spherical cups of apple juice and a glass of water on the table. Tessa reached for the apple juice, and she took a sip.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. She had never, in her life, really cared for apple juice that much, but this was amazing. It was refreshing and tasted delicious.

Will took the water and Cecily the other apple juice. She treated it like it was nothing.

After a few minutes, Tessa said, "So, Cecily. You speak French."

She nodded. "Mhmm. Everyone's required to know a few languages. It's Europe, after all. Will and I know at least six."

_Six!_ Tessa had a lot of catching up to do. She knew bits and pieces of Spanish from classes at her old school, but that was it. She felt highly under-educated in their presence.

Finally, the waiter delivered three sandwiches. They were not all like Tessa imagined—grocery store whole wheat bread with American cheese and ham. No, this was so much better. It was a slightly toasted French bread and cooked ham with tomatoes and lettuce on top, with nearly melted cheese. Once Tessa took a bite, it was like having a religious experience.

"You like it," Cecily noticed.

She must've been moaning in delight.

Tessa swallowed and brought the napkin to carefully wipe her face. "'Like' is a bit of an understatement."

They both looked satisfied.

"So, Tessa," Will said. She had never thought about her name much before, but when he said it, it was as if she were hearing it for the first time—the hard T, the caress of the double S, the way it seemed to end on a breath. She hated him so much. "_Why _exactly haven't I seen you before? I know you just moved in with Cecily, but—"

"I'm new," she interrupted. "I just moved here today."

His eyebrows shot straight up. Cecily already knew, but still looked interested.

"Really, now? _You're _the new girl everyone, and that does not necessarily mean a lot of people, has been talking about?" He leaned back in his seat.

Tessa grimaced. "Is that a bad thing?"

Cecily spoke up. "We don't get a lot of new students at our school. And pardon Will, he's not used to talking to people." Will, in response, glared at his sister.

It continued like that for the rest of the time. Soon after, they left and started walking around. When Tessa told them she'd never looked around London before, that this was her first day here, they immediately began offering to take her around the city. But she refused, saying she was exhausted and had jet lag.

So they walked back to the Institute.

Will went back to his dorm, groaning his way to the elevator saying he has nothing to entertain himself with. Cecily and Tessa ignored him and went back to theirs as well.

So far, the day seemed okay. Exhausting, but okay. She'd made two and a half friends. Two and a half because she wasn't really sure if she should count Will as one.

Overall, it'd been surprisingly pleasant. But school would be starting soon and had yet to see most of London, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

As for right now, she just wanted to sleep; she crawled into bed, and slowly fell asleep, too sleepy to notice that her journal was no longer there.

* * *

**A/N: **_And that concludes the second chapter. Expect long chapters, by the way. School has started, so I've been a little busy, but here's number two! And we got to meet Will, yay!_

_Okay, so a long time ago I vowed to myself: I am never writing a boarding school story since pretty much everyone writes those. But I did it anyway. *drops head and groans to the end of the universe* HOWEVER, I will do my best to make it different the rest and hopefully not at all your stereotypical boarding school story. So yeah._

_I bet you all missed me and my long A/Ns that I'm sure almost none of you bother to read. Oh, and the disclaimer that is almost never different._

_Sorry for mistakes (I really need a beta -.-). Review, favorite, and follow if you enjoyed! Can we get, say, 15-20 reviews for the next chapter? :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story. _


	3. Chapter 3: Populars

After Tessa returned from breakfast early that morning, Sophie came barging into her dorm with urgent news. And that news was not exactly fortunate.

Tessa blinked once. "What do you mean my uniform's coming late?"

Sophie sighed, putting a hand on the wall and leaning against it. "Apparently you came in on such short notice that they didn't expect it. This is the first time the Institute's been unprepared." Sophie rolled her eyes in irritation. "I'm very sorry about that."

Tessa groaned. It was the first day of school, and unfortunately for her, her uniform had not come in, according to Sophie. Though she wasn't sure if it was _that _unfortunate; Sophie was dressed in a short dark blue skirt (that was _way _too short for Tessa's liking), knee socks, a white buttoned blouse with a black blazer, and plaid tie. _God_, did she hate that uniform.

As opposed to Sophie, Tessa was dressed in dark gray jeans that were a little too big on her, and a t-shirt. Nothing special—or as revealing as that stupid uniform the girls were required to wear. Ugh.

She swung her backpack over her shoulder and stood up, brushing her pants off. "Doesn't matter. Let's just get this over with."

Sophie made a face, and they walked out of the door. "Where was Cecily?" she asked Tessa as they walked toward the dining hall. They were to receive their schedule there and immediately start class as soon as they get them.

"She's already there with her friends or something." Tessa shrugged. At least that's what Cecily told her. After Will and Cecily had lunch with her, they hadn't really talked much. Maybe they'd just end up being acquaintances for the rest of the year.

But at least Tessa had Sophie. They quickly became good friends over the past few days. As it turns out, they had a lot in common, and she was nice and fun to talk to. So of course, that was good; especially for new students.

They pushed the doors open. "And here we go," Sophie muttered under her breath. The dining hall was flooding with students all in the same colors of Sophie's uniform—blue, white, and plaid. The room was filled with murmurings and shouts.

There were at least six different lines that went according to their last names; sadly, Tessa would be alone in this. Sophie sent her a sympathetic look, and then walked to the line. Right in front of her were two familiar heads—Cecily and Will. Ah, that made sense. G for Gray. H for Herondale.

Cecily was dressed in the same uniform as Sophie, which was even more unfortunate. Because if that meant Tessa would be wearing the same thing, she'd automatically hate this school with all her living soul.

Will was dressed with khakis, black blazer, dark blue waistcoat, white shirt with a collar, and plaid tie. Thing was, his buttons were buttoned carelessly, tie done incorrectly, and was he _trying _to make his hair messy? Because oh dear goodness, was it working.

His eyes checked her up and down. She reminded herself that she didn't care for him. She hated him. "Finally, someone more interesting. Having Cecy around just gets pretty boring after a while, and Jem's not in this line. But I've said that before, haven't I?" His eyes twinkled.

All Tessa could think was, _What's a Jem?_

"You're rambling, Will," said Cecily, but not before shooting him a death glare. He smiled innocently at her, and turned back to Tessa.

"Jem is my best friend," Will explained. Tessa paled. Had she said that aloud? "James Carstairs, but we all call him Jem. He's in the line with Camille, poor thing." She noticed that he spoke of his best friend in a very fond tone. It changed his whole demeanor in those few seconds, but then his walls built back up and he began teasing his sister.

Huh. Well, it was nice, even for a few seconds, to see a nicer, softer Will Herondale for that short amount of time. Jem must be a good person.

"Jem," she repeated. "Like _To Kill a Mockingbird_?"

To her surprise, Will actually looked impressed. "Yes, but it's not Jeremy, it's James."

"I gathered that, yes."

He ignored her.

Cecily saved the day from total awkward silence. She grinned at her and said, "Interesting little getup you've got there. I reckon the uniform hasn't arrived?"

Tessa shook her head. "Nope. Not that I'm upset about it."

The younger Herondale scrunched up her nose. "I know what you mean."

Will furrowed his eyebrows. "How is it a bad thing?" inquired Will, once again looking Tessa up and down. Her cheeks were flushed.

Cecily hit him in the arm. "Like you don't know."

They took a few steps forward in the line. They were, unfortunately, quite a bit behind in the line, so it took forever for them to reach the front. They all received their schedules, checking what classes they had together. Cecily was out of the question, of course, since she was only a junior and the rest of them were seniors. But soon Tessa found that she and Sophie had three classes together, and five with Will. Not that either of them were very enthusiastic about it.

There was no one else she could compare classes with, so she went on to her first period class which was English. Her teacher was Mrs. Foster, who was very nice. Will was in this class with her, but he barely paid any attention to Tessa. As expected, they went over the basics and were taught the rules and course expectations. The whole hour was about that, and there was more to come. Not that any of the students were complaining. They'd much rather learn rules than actual grammar and stuff.

Next class was math (they called it maths, which would take Tessa a while to get used to) with Mr. Cooper. He seemed nice—for the first few seconds. Once again, they went over rules and expectations, something Tessa was quickly getting tired of hearing about. She and Sophie had this class together, so they were quietly whispering next to each other. Mr. Cooper was, sadly, one of those strict, uptight teachers, which Tessa was not at all happy about, so of course she was absolutely relieved when the bell rung because…

Free period! She managed to stay alive!

Although what she did in that short hour was wander around the building with Sophie, went to her dorm and shared some snacks and watch a little TV. There was a Doctor Who marathon and they couldn't even watch the full episode because their time was almost up. What a shame.

Next class was history Mr. Smith. Such a generic name, but there he was. Will insisted on sitting next to her, even though she didn't want to sit next to him. There came a point where Mr. Smith commanded him to sit next to her. Tessa buried her head in her arms while Will smiled cheerfully.

_Once again_, she had to hear rules and course expectations. She didn't even bother listening anymore until Will placed a hand on her thigh, and she shot straight up. She stared at him with wide eyes.

The little prick didn't even look affected.

He kept his hand there, and she was sure her entire face was on fire. "Smith. Not necessarily a bad name—I like it, honestly—but I've encountered too many Smiths for my liking."

Tessa swallowed. She tried not to look at him, but his eyes were burning holes in her head. She really, with every fiber of her being, _hated him_.

"I was literally just thinking about how generic the name was. Not," she added hastily, "that I don't like it."

Will chuckled, and he finally removed his hand. She let out a breath she'd been holding, and she scowled at him.

Tessa scooted father away from him in her seat. She mouthed, _I hate you_.

Will smiled smugly. He knew about his looks, she reminded herself. He was using them as a weapon. _No you don't. You love me_, he mouthed back.

"Miss Gray and Mr. Herondale, do we have a problem?" Mr. Smith asked, an eyebrow raised, and the whole class turned to look at him.

Tessa mumbled a sorry, looking down, but Will was looking the teacher straight in the eye and replied, "Not at all, sir. However, I think Miss Gray might need to step out of the classroom for a minute or two. She looks rather flushed, don't you think?"

Her head popped up, and students were chuckling. Mr. Smith rolled his eyes and continued talking about the rules, leaving Tessa to die of embarrassment.

—

"I can't believe you did that!" she nearly yelled at him as they were leaving the classroom. "You have no idea how much I hate you."

"You don't hate me at all," he said smoothly. "You love me."

"Cocky bastard," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head disapprovingly.

They walked through the halls until they were met with the doors that led into the dining hall. "You didn't deny it." She was about to protest, but he held up a finger and shushed her. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line, and she felt like she was about to explode with anger. "It's okay. I'm used to it. You'll see, when we walk inside, most of the girls here will be fawning over me."

Tessa rolled her eyes, but as soon as he stepped in, she immediately saw that he was right. Girls sent flirtatious smiles at him and puffed out their chests as he walked by. He sighed, giving her a look. "You can't be serious," Tessa said, ignoring their glares.

"Well, if this isn't enough proof for you, I can—"

"Please don't," she said, cutting him off. She noticed they were walking to his table, and Tessa took a step back.

Will took note of this, and raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.

"I'm not sitting with you." Her voice unintentionally sounded horrified at the idea, and she honestly was glad for it, but Will didn't look like he cared.

He actually shrugged, proving her suspicions. "Suit yourself."

She looked at the table he was taking a seat in—filled with all attractive people who had perfect hair, smiles—everything. Of course he was with them.

One girl had milky white skin and beautiful ivory hair. Her white shirt was unbuttoned at the top for boys to see. She turned to Will, and whispered loud enough for Tessa to hear, "William, what were you doing with _that_? She looks like she just came back from the swamp."

_Oh._

Tessa blinked once, expecting Will to defend her. But instead, he _laughed_. Her mouth dropped. _Oh, I see how it is, _she thought menacingly.

A boy with strangely silver hair and eyes gave the girl a warning look. Tessa found herself unable to move from where she was standing. "I, on the other hand, think she looks very pretty. Say you're sorry, Camille," he said in a calm voice, and Tessa instantly decided she liked him. She was pretty sure she was blushing.

But ah, this was the famous Camille.

Camille rolled her eyes and mumbled a sorry with a tight-lipped smile at her, and then ignored them all. Fine, whatever, be that way.

She mouthed a quick thanks to the boy with the silver appearance, who smiled at her, and then she walked away to find Sophie. But that wouldn't be very difficult, because a hand yanked on her arm and pulled away her to a corner. And there she was.

Sophie's dark hazel eyes were wide. "What were you doing with the _populars_?" She said their name with contempt.

Mm. Populars. Well, it wasn't exactly hard to find out that they'd be the popular ones in the school, but at her old school, she never really had an issue with them. Izzy, Jace, and Alec were pretty popular, so no one dared to mess with them or their friends. But Tessa was the new student, and everyone loved picking on new students.

"Well, I _was _talking to Will, and then that happened," Tessa explained, trying to sound casual—like she didn't suddenly hate them all. Camille didn't really make a good first impression.

Sophie snuck a glance at them, eyeing the populars' table warily. "Stay away from them. They're the cruelest people you'll ever meet." Then a blush spread on her cheeks. "Besides Jem, of course," she added in a barely audible voice.

Everyone seemed to like Jem, so she might as well say something; the curiosity was driving her insane. "Who's this Jem everyone's talking about, anyway?" Tessa asked.

Sophie's face visibly brightened, and she smiled, nodding her head in their table's direction. "The lad over there with the silver hair. He's really nice, and to everyone too."

"Oh!" Tessa exclaimed, the pieces in her mind coming together, and she clapped her hands together. "_That's _Jem. Yeah, he is really nice."

The smile lingered on Sophie's face. Tessa could only infer that Sophie _like-_likes Jem, using elementary and middle school terms. "Yeah…" She sighed languorously. She stayed in that state for about a full fifteen seconds. And then: "Let's grab something to eat. I'm starving."

The lunch line was pretty simple. They had a menu propped up on the wall and Tessa would just have to order from it, with a selection of drinks, too. There were sandwiches, pasta—just about everything.

"What do you want?" Sophie whispered to Tessa.

It took her a few seconds to decide. They were so many options, and she had no idea how to pick. And after a while, she finally went with chicken noodle soup. Yes, with all the sophisticated choices, she chose that.

"And a drink?"

Tessa looked back up onto the menu. Under the _drinks _section, there was tea (that didn't really name any specific kinds), soda, water, energy drinks, lemonade, and juice.

"Just water," Tessa answered, not wanting to spoil herself. _Yet_.

Sophie nodded in confirmation, and then ordered for the both of them while she stood shyly to the side, inspecting strands of hair like they were the solution to world peace.

The chef brought them their meals and they both took the required utensils and napkins, and they carried the food to where Tessa could only assume was their lunch table. However, to get there, they had to pass the populars.

Someone from their table coughed rather loudly. "_Whore_." More coughs and some laughter.

Another person commented, "Nice scar, Sophie! How'd you get it?" Chuckles erupted from the table.

One guy looked over to them, glowering. "That's enough, Jessie."

"Shut _up_, Lightwood," Jessamine hissed, scowling at him.

Tessa was completely caught by surprise. Now instead of focusing on them insulting Sophie, she was focused on Lightwood. As in, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood? The chances of her meeting their relatives were highly unlikely. This was a one in a million chance, but nope, here he was.

And he looked nothing like either of them.

The guy who was talking to Jessamine had sandy brown hair, and eyes that were a mix of gray and green. The person next to him looked fairly similar to him, so she could only assume they were brothers. Alec looked more like Will with the blue eyes and black hair, but the similarities ended there. Tessa was too confused to concentrate on anything anymore.

"You'd look much prettier if you actually cared about the way you dressed, and did something about that plain brown hair."

_Camille_. And she was talking to Tessa.

Not wanting to get into trouble with anyone, Tessa nodded once and then pulled Sophie with her free hand to the empty table.

Sophie was on fire. "God, I _hate _them!" She looked like she was ready to kick over the table and chairs. "And Gideon. I don't need him sticking up for me; I'm well on my own."

Tessa sat down and let her continue ranting, blowing lightly on her soup.

"I don't need anyone defending me," she continued. "Let alone _Gideon Lightwood_."

"I don't know, Sophie, that was kind of nice of him," Tessa said, bracing herself for Sophie's wrath, but none came. "And he wasn't defending you. He just told Jessamine to back off. At least she stopped." She shrugged.

Sophie shot her a deathly look, and Tessa shut up.

"Okay, umm… What are all the populars' names? So I know who to avoid," said Tessa, biting down on her lip.

She expected no answer, and didn't get one. But that was okay with her, since Sophie needed to cool off a little steam.

"Jessamine Lovelace, Gabriel and Gideon Lightwood, Camille Belcourt, Tatiana Lightwood, Jem Carstairs, Cecily Herondale, and worst of all, her brother Will Herondale."

Tessa blinked. She counted eight, and that was quite a bit. "Oh. Uh, lot of Lightwoods there."

Sophie scowled. "Pompous little brats."

She felt kind of offended, being friends with them back in New York.

Sophie began explaining. "The girls just cling onto Will, mostly. Jem is his best friend, but he brings out the better side of Will, not that that good side is good for us. The Lightwoods are always together, and regardless of the fact that they are _all _populars, they hate him—that much is obvious. But they stay around for status. Cecily, though, is actually really nice, so we don't hate her. Everyone else, _yes_." She shook her head sadly. "And I needn't forget one detail: just about everyone at school is in _love _with William Herondale."

Well, the last piece was kind of obvious, since, like he said, girls were fawning over him.

"Except for you?" Tessa asked. Then she added hastily, "And me."

She nodded. "Especially me. Now eat. You don't want your soup to get cold."

—

After hearing Sophie's explanation of the populars and "who you need to beware of", Tessa decided to avoid Will for the rest of the day. However, that was sort of difficult, considering he was in the rest of her classes.

Jem was there, though, in science, and she finally got to have a proper conversation with him. He started out by apologizing for Camille's behavior, to which Tessa replied with a smile, "Don't worry. It's not that big a deal."

He frowned, looking genuinely upset about this. "They live to do that. I've no idea why." Yes, she decided, she did like him.

Tessa sighed. Then, and this was not unusual, her head was filled with questions and they all wanted to slip out of her mouth. "Please tell me those are contacts," she said bluntly.

Jem widened his eyes.

Then she covered her mouth. She knew better than to say that sort of stuff to strangers. Tessa was fully aware of her straightforwardness, a.k.a. one of the things she couldn't stand about herself. "I'm sorry! That was rude, wasn't it?"

Then Jem laughed, and she felt relief wash over her, but there was still a twinge of embarrassment there. "I wish they were. You see, I have—"

"James!" Will exclaimed, rushing over to him. He grinned at them both, but not before shooting a look at Tessa. She stiffened momentarily, but then straightened and looked back at him with just as much iciness. "Yes, how are you? Oh, I see you've met Tessa. Lovely, isn't she?" She heard the sarcasm in it.

She was ready to walk away. She didn't want to talk to Will.

"More than lovely," Jem said, and this time she detected no traces of sarcasm.

There was silence between the three of them, and Will stared at Jem blankly.

Tessa couldn't take it. She was flattered, of course, extremely so, but all she wanted to do was avoid Will. Especially with the new information Sophie had given her.

Not for the first time, she felt a sudden pang of longing for her old friends and home, where everything was simpler. As soon as school ended, she promised she'd call them.

But as for now, class was about to begin and she needed to get seated. Being the new student gave her tons of attention already, and being seen with the populars would only give her more. So, she turned on her heel and took a seat at the nearest desk.

Will snapped out of his gaze, and then, shaking his head, moved to the front of the classroom with Jem next to him.

This would be a long day, she decided.

—

After her Spanish class with Mrs. Ramos ended, Tessa felt like crying with relief. School had never been so long before. She absolutely _hated _being the new student. She was just thankful that she had Sophie and Cecily at her side.

She immediately began walking to her dorm, fumbling with the keys in her hand. She opened the door and looked at the desk where she last remembered putting her journal. But it wasn't there.

Tessa furrowed her eyebrows, and continued looking for it.

Nothing.

Her journal. The one her father had given her. What she used to express herself and pour her heart into—gone. She had never, _ever _lost it before. Her heart began racing as she frantically searched through the dorm, trying not to tear the whole place apart, until she let out a frustrated shriek, and collapsed on her bed.

She allowed herself this moment for a few seconds, before sitting up and composing herself. Tessa was never one to cry very often. She was too strong and proud for her own good. Her friends never approved of that, and neither did she, really.

Tessa took in deep breaths until she was finally calm. She told herself that she would continue looking later, but for now, she just wanted to talk to her friends. She pulled out her laptop that she brought with her, and opened up Skype and called them, waiting patiently for an answer.

And then—success! Clary's face appeared on the screen. "You are _so _lucky this is my free period," she grinned. "It's like ten in the morning."

"Three in the afternoon for me," Tessa said, trying to smile. "I miss you so much."

"We all miss you too," she said. Then she turned around, so she could only see Clary's fiery red locks. "Jesus, Simon, get a grip. I'm talking to Tessa."

"_Tessa's there?_" she heard Simon say. "_Can I talk to her?"_

Clary scoffed. "No. Go talk to Izzy."

Tessa could practically hear Simon roll his eyes. "_But she's with Jace_."

"So?"

"_What more explanation do I need?_"

"Oh my God, does Jace _scare _you?" Clary teased.

She heard Simon sigh. "_Well, considering he's all muscles and is practically Superman, yes, yes he does_."

Clary groaned. "God. Just leave for a sec, okay?"

Silence.

"_Fine. Bye, Tessa!_"

And then he was gone. Clary turned back to Tessa. "Sorry about that."

Tessa grinned. "It's cool."

Clary positioned her computer and then smiled broadly. "So tell me about London. How's school there?"

Tessa grimaced. "Kinda awful, kinda not. The uniforms scare me to death, I barely know anyone, the popular kids are attacking, and you guys aren't here."

She frowned. "Aw. I'd be glad go over there, if my mom wasn't so overprotective." Jocelyn wasn't so bad. At least she'd never let their daughter move to another country. She'll take overprotective parents any day. "How're the boys?" She waggled her eyebrows and smiled suggestively.

"English," Tessa answered.

Clary rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Never mind. My free period's almost over, so I'll have to hang up soon."

The audience inside Tessa's head did an _aww_.

"I'll call you when school ends, 'kay?"

Tessa nodded. "Okay. See you then."

"Bye, Tessa."

And then she hung up. She was grateful for that opportunity to talk to her, but she missed Clary even more now. The door to her dorm open, creaking loudly and making her spin around in her seat.

It was Cecily, her brows were knitted in confusion. "Who were you talking to?"

"My best friend back in New York," she replied, shutting her laptop and putting it back in its case.

"Ah," Cecily said, though she didn't sound like she cared. Then she sat down across from Tessa and held up a plastic bag. Was that…?

_No_.

"I just came back from visiting Charlotte, and I have your uniform!"

_NO._

It was like she was living a nightmare. Tessa took the bag from her, inspecting the inside. And even worse—the short skirt was there. "Thanks, Cecily," she said, albeit forced.

She shrugged in response and brushed her fingers through her long dark hair. "No problem. Anyway, you still haven't gotten to see the rest of London yet. Do you want to look around?"

Tessa knew she had to, in order to get accustomed to the place. But she wanted to look for her journal. That was her number one priority at the moment. So instead of saying yes like she would've, had she not lost the journal, she said, "Eventually, yes, but I can't right now; I'm looking for something."

Cecily, once again, shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself. I'm going to talk to Gabriel. Give me a call when you're ready."

She stood up and made her way toward the door, and it shut behind her, leaving Tessa to sigh and stare sadly at her uniform. "How am I going to survive here?" Tessa asked to no one in particular, and then she collapsed back onto her bed.

* * *

**A/N: **_Chapter three, and things are moving along! Most of you are already guessing who took the journal… Well, to be honest—and I'm being vague here—the answer is actually pretty obvious. BUT I SHALL SAY NO MORE, for those are spoilers, and most people do not like being spoiled. _

_A big thank you to my beta, The Pale Red Queen, for editing and revising as well as being able to put up with me :D Thank you so much!_

_If you enjoyed this chapter, please review, favorite, and follow for more and faster updates. Can we get to twenty-five or more? (:_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything else mentioned in this story._


	4. Chapter 4: Pasta

Tessa had to wear the uniform.

Because she had longer legs, the skirt looked too short for her. She felt dirty in it, especially with the knee socks. She didn't even bother with her hair and only quickly brushed it before leaving her dorm and heading to her first period class with Mrs. Foster and the ever so wonderful William Herondale.

As soon as she walked inside, the room was filled with whistles and cat-calling. She was reminded of her burning hatred of her classmates. Her eyes met Will's, whose eyebrows were raised in amusement. She glared at him and took a seat next to him—only because he was the only person she knew.

"Nice outfit," Will commented as soon as she sat down, scanning her body fully, taking in everything.

"_No_," she glowered menacingly, pointing a finger at him.

He raised his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, sorry."

"Everyone here's an idiot," Tessa grumbled, her arms crossed.

Will hummed, and a moment later, he replied, "I feel an overwhelming urge to agree with you."

Class started moments later. They basically just covered the basics (which would go on for about a week or so—not that anyone was upset about this; less homework after all) about the rules, and Tessa found herself not paying attention and just studying the lines from the wood on her desk. _Maybe if I bang my head hard enough on it, I'll pass out and stay in my dorm for the rest of the day_, Tessa wondered.

But of course, that was not something she was planning to do. Her thoughts eventually wandered back to the subject of her missing journal. Why couldn't she find it? She barely ever lost it, and when she did, she found it just a few seconds to minutes afterwards.

But then another thought struck her. What if it was in Sophie's dorm? She found herself going there quite often, so maybe she left the journal there.

She couldn't ask her in math because Mr. Cooper would end up moving their seats so they'd be on practically opposite sides of the room, and that could not happen. It already did at least five times already.

During history, Tessa couldn't even pay attention because Will was of course bothering her. As if he putting his hand on her leg the day before wasn't enough.

"Tessa," he whispered. Mr. Smith was talking, and she wanted to listen to him. She had to make a good impression and might miss something important. Sticking around with Will wouldn't help at all, so she ignored him.

He obviously noticed this, and then scoffed. "The silent treatment. I thought you were better than that."

In a blur, she was face to face with him. "Excuse me? I wish I could say I'm sorry I don't meet your expectations, but I'm really not. Please don't talk to me if you're just going to say things like that." And Tessa turned back around, but not before seeing the stunned expression on his face. She felt satisfied, and smiled, turning around.

And surprisingly, Will was quiet for the rest of the hour.

Class finally ended, and Tessa gathered her things, softly humming a song in her head, and walked out the door, making her way towards the dining hall. She was not at all looking forward to crossing the populars, but it had to be done.

Thankfully, no one said a word to her; it was actually like they hadn't noticed her at all, which was good. She took a seat next to Sophie and greeted each other, and minutes later went to go retrieve their lunch.

Tessa once again got water and this time, pasta. It looked absolutely yummy and smelled fantastic.

But as she was walking back to her table, Will subtly put out a foot to trip her, and she fell pathetically onto her face—and _hard_. Of course everyone noticed, and they were laughing along with the rest of the populars, except for Cecily, Jem, and Gideon (who she suddenly figured was a _nice_ popular, a rare occurrence).

The whole thing was extremely immature, but she still felt anger boiling within her, directed at them all. Tessa's face was bright red and hot from embarrassment. The left side of her face was thumping with pain that was slowly beginning to subside.

She had figured that the plate of pasta would be splattered all over the floor, but it apparently not. It lay there perfectly unharmed.

And then, she had an idea.

Tessa pushed herself off the ground and smiled politely at Will. For a moment, he stopped laughing and looked confused, and then she picked up the plate of pasta and shoved it into his hair, causing the spaghetti sauce and noodles to slowly ooze down the sides of his face and forehead and falling into his clothes.

The dining hall suddenly went quiet.

"Wow, Will," said Tessa, trying not to laugh. Her voice was echoing through the room. "Pasta's a nice look for you."

Will actually looked surprised instead of angry, like she had expected. Jem, obviously trying not to grin, stood up from his seat and walked over to him, placing a hand on Will's shoulder, laughing a bit; it was a beautiful sound. "Will, I think you had better wash up."

Will, in response, scowled at Jem, and his dark blue eyes flashed dangerously, directed at Tessa. "I suppose I had," he murmured under his breath, and spun around on his heel to make his way out of the dining hall.

Jem didn't follow like Tessa expected. Instead, he was walking toward her, now smiling. It was gentle and kind, much unlike Will whose smile was always mocking and wry. "Sorry about him. He can be a tremendous arse when he wants to be."

What a surprise.

Tessa sighed sadly. "It's not like I'm not used to it. Someone should _really_ deflate that big ego of his."

He chuckled. "It's a good thing you're here then. Believe it or not, back at the dorms yesterday, he stopped talking about 'his needs' for once and was going on about you."

Tessa's eyes widened. This was…startling, and quite unexpected, for lack of better words. She wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or offended. "_Me_?" She could never imagine such a thing. "In a good way?"

Jem looked behind him—to take a peek at exit where he left. "Of course not. But don't take it personally. He naturally hates everything."

Oh. So he hated her? She felt a twinge of disappointment, but decided to ignore it.

He looked back at her and smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay. I'm going to go, um…" She pointed behind her at the tables.

Jem nodded. "Of course. Sorry if I delayed you."

"You didn't," Tessa said, smiling for what felt like the first time that day. _Three people_, Tessa thought. _Sophie, Cecily, and Jem._ Also known as the only people who were actually nice at the Institute.

"Well, bye, then," said Jem as she started walking off.

She waved at him once, and then went over to Sophie who was staring at her with wide eyes. "You may just be my favorite person to ever walk on the planet," she told Tessa. Sophie had the biggest smile on her face. "Serves him right! I hope he knows now that not _every_ girl is yearning after him."

Tessa laughed, and she walked back to the line for _new_ food, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.

—

Half of the school either praised Tessa, and the other half hated her. Of course, the other half was basically all the girls who loved with Will, and the rest were boys with an exception of a few girls who were just totally done with Will's behavior.

During science, Gabriel Lightwood (she had no idea he was in her class) walked straight up to her with a grin that took up his entire face, and his green eyes were shining brightly. Once again, she saw no resemblance to Izzy or Alec, but she tried not to let it affect her too much. "You have my highest respect, Miss Gray," Gabriel spoke, and right next to them, Will broke the pencil he was writing with a frustrated growl following a second after. He was now completely free of spaghetti and tomato sauce, but he was still sulking, if not even more than before. She distinctly heard Sophie snickering at him; Tessa bit her lip to hide her smile, and she nodded once at him, and then took a seat next to Sophie.

Hours later, Tessa found herself back at her dorm on her bed with her laptop in front of her. She'd given up looking for her journal since it was nowhere to be found. She was devastated, of course, but had decided to _type_ her entries instead, and thought it'd be much easier.

But at the moment, she couldn't focus on writing. She was thinking of her brother, and Tessa began wondering if she'd called him in a while. She'd have to, and soon…

And the door abruptly flew open, causing Tessa's head to snap up.

Oh, no. It was _Cecily_.

What if she was mad at Tessa? If someone threw their food on Nate, she'd be absolutely _livid_. She didn't even want to know how Cecily would react.

Tessa shut her laptop and stood up, her mouth hanging open. "I, uh, Cecily! Hi!" she greeted with more cheeriness than she intended. Always the articulate.

Then, the younger Herondale did something quite unexpected, and rushed over to Tessa and _hugged_ her. Tessa's eyes widened from shock, and then Cecily pulled away with a broad grin on her face. "Thank you _so much_," Cecily said. "Thank you, thank you."

"I… W-what?" Tessa stammered in confusion.

Cecily's blue eyes were bright and sparkling with glee. "Will deserved it. He really did. Did you know he's been rather grumpy lately? I think his pride's been hurt. Gabriel and I couldn't stop talking about it."

It didn't seem like Cecily talked to the rest of the populars—besides Will, of course—but she did talk to Gabriel Lightwood quite often. That's when Tessa realized that Cecily might have a little crush on him. Or maybe even vice-versa. They _did_ hang out frequently. She thought it was cute, but if she was right, wouldn't it be like some 'forbidden romance'? Didn't Sophie say that the Lightwoods couldn't stand Will?

"Oh," Tessa mumbled. She wasn't sure if she should be proud or not.

"No one ever disrespects Will," Cecily went on, "and good God, did he need someone to do that. Thank you, thank you." She was saying 'thank you' continuously like a prayer.

Now Tessa was starting to feel guilty. Half the school was looking up to her. Wasn't that a good thing? But if she said she didn't feel for Will just a _teensy _little bit, then she'd be lying—which sucked, since she was absolutely determined not to fall under his little spell.

But Jem laughed at it. And if Jem—_his best friend—_was laughing, then the world was good. And it didn't even really matter. By next week, all would be forgotten and Will would treat her just the same, right?

—

Tessa was wrong.

It did not go forgotten. Will seemed a little more depressed than usual, but no one dared to speak to him about what happened. As if anyone would _dare _to make fun of _Will Herondale_.

But he was talking to her. At first she felt glad, but then instantly regretted it. If she thought he was a jerk then, she was clearly oblivious to this Will.

Insults were thrown across her the hallways, lunch, and during class. He looked at her, but in a mocking way. His little girlish minions were constantly sending her dirty looks and were talking bad about Tessa behind her back, and sometimes, in front of her.

She hated him more than ever. No, she _loathed_ him. But sometimes (and these are very rare occurrences) Tessa caught Will looking at her in such a way that made her want to leap into his arms, but then the moment was shattered as he looked away, but not before sending her a chilling smirk that made a feeling of uneasiness wash over her. And she was reminded—she did not like him. He was tormenting her on purpose. He wanted revenge.

Not even the teachers could resist Will's charm. Some classes she had to sit next to him, and though she didn't even talk to him or anyone for that matter, he always found some way to get her in trouble.

"Tess, I'm _sorry_ that you find the lesson boring—I for one find it very interesting. Magellan? Circumnavigation? Fascinating—but I want to pay attention, so if you could please stop talking, I'd be grateful," Will said loudly one day.

Her mouth dropped and she threw him an accusatory look. He was smiling with pure innocence.

Mr. Smith crossed his arms and stepped in front of Tessa. Everyone was leaning forward in their seats. Will was doodling on his paper in the top right corner. Would it be bad to commit a murder within the first few days of school?

"This is just a warning, Miss Gray, but if you—" Mr. Smith started.

"He's lying! I was paying attention!" Tessa interrupted, eyes wide. She heard him snickering beside her.

The teacher's eyebrows lifted, testing her. She kept her gaze steady.

"Why did the Europeans want to go to America and colonize?"

"For power and money," said Tessa immediately.

Silence passed between the two of them.

Mr. Smith narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "I'll have my eye on you, miss."

She didn't look at Will for the rest of the day.

* * *

"I just don't see what the big deal is."

"She poured pasta down my head!"

"So?"

"It's not exactly something that doesn't go _unnoticed_, Jem," Will glared.

The two boys were both in Jem's dorm. They weren't roommates, unfortunately, but Will did spend a lot of time there. His roommate was out with one of his friends. Not that Will cared. The guy was a loser, anyway.

Somehow, they had landed upon the topic of Tessa Gray, the girl who had taken up most of Will's thoughts. Most girls practically fainted at the sight of him, but not her. She instead argued with him, told him sarcastic comments, and Will did not like it one bit.

He wanted to ruin her life. See her burn.

But he felt like the sight would hurt him more than it'd hurt her.

"I see you're determined to miss my point," said Will with a frown.

"If your point is that there's a pretty girl distracting you, then I think I've taken your point handily."

"You think she's pretty?" Will was honestly sort of surprised. Jem rarely shared these sorts of things to him.

"Yes, and you do too."

"I hadn't noticed, really."

"Yes you have, and I've noticed you noticing."

Will ignored that.

"Be nice, Will," said Jem calmly. "_You_ may not like her, but your sister does, Sophie does—"

"What do I care what _Sophie_ thinks?" He spat out her name like it was poison. The fact that Tessa had chosen her, the poor servant girl, as a friend made him feel rather irritated.

At first, he saw Tessa as someone he could have a little fun with. Tease. Messing with her was fun. Everyone at the Institute's just so _boring_, but she was so different that he couldn't help but joke around. She was a magnet and he was just a dull piece of metal.

Jem frowned. "_Will_…" he said in a scolding tone. He rolled his eyes. Then Jem sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "At least say sorry. To Tessa," he added as Will raised a finger to question whether he meant Sophie or Tessa.

"I don't say sorry," Will said stiffly. "And I don't need to be the sorry one. _She_ does."

Jem shook his head disapprovingly and with a sigh, he told him, "You're not leaving this room until you say AND ACTUALLY DO apologize." He only put emphasis those words because Will always found a way to wriggle out of doing something. "Or at least invite her for tea or something, for God's sake."

Will stared.

"You heard me," Jem said, crossing his arms. "I'm tired of this whole façade. I know you, Will. You're better than this."

"I won't do it," said Will. "If you know me, then you know I'd never do such a thing."

Jem stood up. "Then I'll drag you, if I have to."

"You know we're not allowed in the girls' area of the building—"

"Hypocrite. You go all the time, regardless of what I say," Jem told him matter-of-factly, and Will cursed himself for never listening.

"Then drag me, _if you have to_," he mocked. He didn't miss the look of determination that flashed on Jem's face.

—

Jem was always patient with Will, but he never actually thought he'd do something like this.

At first, he seized Will's wrist and tugged him there, but Will kept pulling away, so Jem really _did_ drag him across the floor until they stopped in front of Tessa's room.

Jem knocked on the door three times, his hand locked around Will's wrist. The door opened to reveal Cecily, whose eyes landed on Will's limp body on the ground, and she covered her mouth.

"Oh, my," Cecily whispered. Then she looked exasperated. "What did he do this time," she said tonelessly.

The silvered-haired boy only said, "Where's Tessa?"

Cecily tilted her head with furrowed eyebrows, but then a look of realization dawned on her face. "Oh, she's not here right now. She's at the library. She likes to read." She shrugged as if reading was the last thing she liked doing. Will only brightened. He loved to read, but never really confessed that too many people. Jem really didn't care and Cecily tried to read some of his favorites, but she didn't really like them.

"Library?" Will asked, head popping up.

They both ignored him.

"Guess I'll drag him there, then," said Jem with a sigh.

Cecily beamed. "Can I help?"

Will groaned, but he was helpless. Jem was the one against him for the moment, so there was no way he could be saved.

"Of course you can, Cecy. You take the legs."

Moments later, they were carrying him to the library and he felt absolutely pathetic. The worst part was that everyone was watching. Luckily, though, they treated it like it was a regular part of their daily routine.

They finally reached the library, and they might as well have thrown him inside, watching his every move. He scowled, and then saw that Tessa was indeed there, sitting on a lounge chair, her face buried in the book.

He then took notice that she wasn't even flipping the pages. She just sat there.

"Tess?" Will asked, taking a step toward her. He removed the book from her face, and her head fell to the arm chair, and she snored faintly, her nose scrunching for a second. Her eyes were closed.

Will laughed, bubbling with relief. "Oh, this is _rich. _She's asleep!" he exclaimed gleefully. "I don't have to apologize!"

Jem was frowning disappointedly.

With a grin, Will bowed. "Good day to you both. I shall be on my way."

And he ran out of the library and back to his dorm. Hours later, out of curiosity, he snatched a small journal he had found in Cecily and Tessa's dorm, and he began reading the scrawled letters.

* * *

**A/N: **_I am so sorry I haven't updated for so long! School's had me busy with its tests and work and whatnot :( Sorry._

_Anyway, cookies to those who figured Will was the one who took the journal! I mean I did say it was fairly obvious. I mean, it's basically in the books. 'The Girl Behind the Scrawled Letters'? AHEM? _

_A big thank you to The Pale Red Queen who beta'd this chapter! And don't forget to review, favorite, and follow! :D_

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own The Infernal Devices or anything mentioned in this story._


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